Getting kids to write a personal narrative can be tricky. Most kids loooooove to share stories orally, but getting them to write is a different story. You'll often get complaints that they have nothing to write about, or a bare-bones story with very little detail. I'll be honest and say that Writing Workshop was not my favorite part of the day. But, when I learned to use mentor texts to guide my students to become better writers, it really helped so much! Mentor texts provide concrete examples of great writing and are motivating; kids love to emulate authors they admire. In this post, I'll share my 3 favorite mentor texts for teaching the personal narrative genre, then I'll also share mini-lesson ideas for one of them! This post includes affiliate links, which means I get a small percentage if you purchase through the links, at no cost to you. My favorite personal narrative mentor texts Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall is ... read more
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Strategies for Supporting Struggling Writers
Getting kids to love writing can be difficult sometimes, especially if they are struggling writers. It's normal to dislike something you're not good at (or think you're not good at). I dislike bowling because I have terrible aim and usually end up in the gutter. But, I'm sure if I had the patience took the time to learn some tips, I'd enjoy it more! Similarly, your students can learn to like writing, with a few little motivating tweaks. Try some of these tips for supporting struggling writers and get your students excited about your writing block! 1. Oral Practice Sometimes telling a story helps the transition from thought to paper. Have kids share their writing plans with a friend before starting. Have students work with the same writing partner throughout a unit, so they become familiar with their peer's story and can offer suggestions for adding details. 2. Choice: Too much or not enough! This is a big one. Choice ... read more
How to Get Students Writing Independently During Writing Workshop
Writing is hard for many kids! If you run a writing workshop, you know how important it is to have kids writing independently. Yet, there are many challenges kids can have during this time that can lead to frustration and less-than-ideal work! Teachers face a huge challenge when kids aren't able to work independently during writing workshop, too. If you are constantly getting interrupted by kids who need help or have to stop to get kids back on task, it's almost impossible to conduct writing conferences effectively. How to help kids write independently When kids learn strategies for specific writing challenges, they're much more likely to overcome them independently. This leaves you free to conference with students and monitor the class (so no one is crawling under tables or eating crayons)! One awesome way to teach kids independence during writing workshop is to make a "Writing Challenges" anchor chart. Together, make a ... read more
Tricks for Teaching Syllable Types and Division
Do your students give up when they approach a long word? Even if it's a word they can most likely decode, like rabbit or project, some kids get overwhelmed by word length and don't even try. If they're not taught how to decode these words, they may even start guessing rather than trying. When kids learn how to break apart words into smaller chunks or syllables, this helps a great deal! There are 6 syllable types and it is extremely helpful for first graders to at least be exposed to a few. Even kindergartners can learn to divide multi-syllabic words made up of closed syllables! I'll go over each syllable type and give some tips on how to teach them. Then, grab your FREE posters at the bottom of this post! what is a syllable and how do you explain it to kids? A syllable is a part of a word that includes a vowel. If you hold your finger to your chin, every time you say a syllable, you can feel a slight movement. ... read more
Must-Have Teaching Supplies for back to school
Who doesn't love brand new, shiny, just-out-of-the-package back-to-school supplies? Ever since I was a kid, shopping for school supplies was one of my favorite end of summer activities! And as a teacher, I always felt like Christmas when unboxing my supply orders or shopping school sales. Amazon is a great resource for must-have teaching supplies and I've listed some of my FAVORITE, must-have teaching supplies from Amazon here. This post includes affiliate links, so I earn a small commission if you purchase through them, BUT I have only included items I've used myself, so you can rest assured these are great supplies! And I'll also mention if I've seen these items cheaper elsewhere. I've organized these supplies into categories to make it easy to find what you're looking for. Also, look for the *TIP note to read little tips for each school supply. Must-have supplies for Centers Plastic sleeves-huge paper saver! I used ... read more
How to Teach New Sight Words (and make them stick)
We know sight words are important, but there are some big mistakes we have to avoid when teaching new words and there are 3 key elements to include in your sight word instruction! You've likely had students who sound out every word in a sentence and it takes them forever. By the time they've reached the end of the sentence, they've forgotten the beginning! When kids don't recognize sight words with automaticity, their fluency is hindered, as well as their comprehension. So we know they are important. But, how do we teach sight words so that they stick? TWO BIG MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN TEACHING SIGHT WORDS Do you remember "drill and kill" with sight word flashcards? While isolated sight word flashcards have their place in review, when first introducing a word, there are two mistakes to avoid. I used to make them, too. They are common mistakes, so if they sound familiar, you're not alone! MISTAKE #1: ISOLATED SIGHT ... read more
Tips for New Teachers
Hey there, new teacher, and welcome! Right now, you are probably feeling so many different emotions and have tons of questions. My goal is to help answer some of those questions with this mini-survival tip kit and help make you feel more confident in getting started in this amazing career! Now, I said amazing, not easy! The first piece of advice I want to share is to NOT try to do everything perfectly this year. It took me many years to realize that “Done is better than perfect.” There are SO many different aspects of teaching, that it’s impossible to be an expert in all areas, especially when starting out, especially on the elementary level, and ESPECIALLY with the added unknown factors of Covid and distance-learning. One of the most important things to do is to stay organized, as it’ll help you work smarter (not harder!). So, in an effort to be efficient, I’ve organized this post into the following ... read more
Tips for Commonly-Confused Sight Words
The other day, I was watching the movie Molly's Game and said to my husband, "Wow, that's a very different role from the one she played in Jurassic World!" "That's a different actress," he replied. "No way!" I argued. Of course, he was right when we Googled it. Besides the fact that Jessica Chastain and Bryce Dallas Howard are both drop-dead gorgeous, they also share very similar features (supposedly, even Ron Howard mistook Chastain for his own daughter)! Well, this reminded me of how some words can be super tricky for kids because of how similar they are, too! Take a look at some "doppelganger" words: for, from no, on me, my saw, was These words may be easy for us to read but, for beginning readers, their similarities make them extra tricky! If you have students who consistently mistake 2 words no matter what you've tried, here are some tips that may help! Tips ... read more
How to Create Your own Sensory Path
It can be hard to keep kids away from screens active during this lock-down. Kids thrive with movement, so one way to encourage your students- or your own children- to move is to create an obstacle course, or a sensory path. What is a sensory path? Sensory paths are paths on the floor that have activities for children to interact with as they move along the path. Jumping, spinning, stomping, and clapping are a few of the multitude of activities that can be included in a sensory path. They are a great tool for getting kids moving, playing, and learning while building sensory connections in the brain! There are tons of benefits of sensory paths, including relieving stress/ coping with emotions, helping with refocusing, physical exercise, coordination, and they’re just FUN! I have seen sensory paths before, using paint and tape to mark the floor. But, I saw Mrs. O of @playfulclassroom on Instagram make hers with chalk and knew ... read more
Digital Resources for Distance Learning
2020 has definitely changed how we teach! Whether you love distance learning or not so much, some aspects of it are sure to stay- whether it's more digital resources, online availability, video lessons, or assignments. So, I've created some resources with you in mind, and hope they will help to add a spark to your digital teaching, whether it's via distance learning or in the classroom! I've added them all here so they're easy to find in one place and I'll continue to add to this post as I create more. *NEWLY ADDED* Make sure to scroll through this post for freebies! Grab your FREE Virtual Meeting Rules Sort! Help students master sight words with kinesthetic learning We know sitting for a long time can be especially hard for children- unless they're playing or moving! Get them to do both to practice sight words! First, you can introduce sight words with these Body-Spelling PowerPoints. Share your screen with students, ... read more